Audiovox Adds to RCA, Acoustic Research and Terk Lines

Audiovox Corp. and subsidiary Audiovox Accessories are planning an array of product introductions this year that capitalize on what president Tom Malone characterized as consumer desire for ease of control of and access to content both on the go and in the home.

During Press Day at the 2009 International CES Wednesday, Malone previewed the latest in a line of RCA-brand Small Wonder portable devices: the slim-profile EX209HD HD-quality Webslinger digital multimedia camera ($119.99), a product he said would bolster the brand’s #3 position in market share in the category of portable digital camcorders.

Its Memory Manager software, embedded in the camcorder, requires no CD-ROM and launches automatically with the first USB PC connection.  It and two other models are shipping in the first quarter.  The 209HD features a two-inch LCD screen and HDMI connectivity for direct viewing of videos on an HDTV. It’s also equipped with a microSD card slot and can run for two hours on a rechargeable battery; 8-MP still photo capability is another feature.

More announcements made by Malone included the following partnerships:
• With Sirius XM (Audiovox takes over from Directed as the satellite company’s new N.A. distribution partner in February);
• With Sony (its Playstation 2 is being integrated into an Audiovox’s mobile electronics products, including an overhead docking unit and into headrest screens and quick-connect seat-top products);
• With Media Flo USA, to make 25 channels of that company’s live Flo TV service available in-vehicle at a $500 price with what Malone said would abe an “affordable monthly service charge.”

David Geise, president of Audiovox Accessories, announced nine new TV antennas in the RCA and Terk likes that include spinoffs of the RCA flat antenna models introduced in 2008. Features range from high-gloss black cosmetics to match flat-panel TVs to water- and UV-resistance for outdoor use. The RCA ANT751 outdoor antenna, also new, features a 40-mile reception range.

The company will also begin shipping this spring a pair of higher-end USB-connected remotes in the over-$150 category under its Acoustic Research brand to answer needs of a consumer demographic that wants fuller-featured, easily programmable multi-device controllers and is willing to pay a premium for them.

The new XSight Color ($179.99) and XSight Touch ($249.99) remotes, said Dennis Rosiak, senior product manager for Audiovox’s user interface division, are “key products in building the higher end of our line.”  The two devices can be set up directly on the remotes or, if deeper customization of function is desired, via a Web-based tutorial.

XSight Color has 15-device and 12-activity storage and carries a TFT display at the top. Its rubberized midsection has the most frequently accessed navigation buttons, while the lower area is a numeric keypad.  

The step-up XSight Touch comes with a lithium-ion rechargeable battery and a cradle, and uses touchscreen control versus the six side buttons flanking the Color’s screen. A “trough” beneath the screen serves as a virtual slider control for scrolling through various screen options.  An optional RF extender module ($99.99) is also available for the Touch.

Rosiak also said the company is working on child-oriented remotes that are being developed in conjunction with Universal Electronics Inc. (UEI).  In mid-2008, the two companies forged a partnership whereby Audiovox was granted license to sell and distribute UEI’s One for All brand remotes in North America.

The two SKUs, which will come with eight preprinted and preprogrammed buttons so that children will be limited to accessing only those channels, will include a $19.99 basic model and a $22.99 model endowed with anti-microbial properties.

A small AR remote that controls Apple TV was also introduced.